Job Searching... in No, I Will Not Fix Your #@$!! Computer http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r23288198 en Wed, 10 Feb 2010 03:58:56 EDT Wed, 10 Feb 2010 03:58:56 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23331537 drew : IT is still very much a contracted resource within PSNS here. SRA International is the name of the firm, specifically.

They have one position open, a low-level grunt position doing what would appear to be basic desktop troubleshooting. (Req. #: 26741BR for those curious enough to investigate... sra.com/careers) I'm not opposed, however I doubt they'd pay more than 30-32k and it has a listing of "Clearance Required: Interim Secret" and the clearance is req'd. to start. From what I've learned here and echoed elsewhere, it would seem that unless you're some kind of super candidate (and I doubt there are any kind of super candidates for a help desk position...) they very much want a clearance in hand before applying. They aren't interested in holding the position, let alone paying you, while the clearance is obtained on their dime. I submitted a query to their "Careers" department listed on the contact page asking if this was true for this position or not. Either way, I'll likely apply.

This is saddening, for sure. I was hoping for something more from this avenue.
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Come play Mafia! | My Picture Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23331537 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:57:41 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23317447 AMD Phreak : I would second usajobs.com and also hit up clearancejobs.com

As for contractors you should hit up Unisys, Criterion Systems, and Harris. All three are major contractors to the DoD, DoHS, DoE, etc. Criterion is the largest subcontractor so I would hit them up first.

If you want to look into a DoD Industrial job be prepared to obtain a security clearance. Get your credit score check for free using the one-per-year credit report site, and start gathering your personal information. You can hit up the OPM website and download the SF-86 paper form so you can get an idea on what you need to gather up. I suggest this step first because there will be a LOT of information you need to gather, and you should gather it now, during the search instead of later when you are pressed to get it prepared after you have been selected. Trust me.

»www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF86.pdf

You will need that form for any DOD industrial clearances. There are also positions out there that would require a position of public trust or high-risk public trust. These clearances are lesser clearances than the famous Secret or Top Secret/SCI clearances but they will still ask you about your entire life. Again, prepare now, not later.

--
"No job is so important, and no service is so urgent that we cannot take the time to perform our work safely."
-- AT&T, Your World, Destroyed.
--Safety One Tower Rescue Certified
--LLigetfa:"Wimax is like teenage sex. Everyone talks about doing it."]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23317447 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:34:21 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23316987 Matt : Your Dad was a Master Chief? Whoa!
]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23316987 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:09:50 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23316923 drew : My dad was hired by PSNS to do the same job he was doing as a Senior Chief (though he had been granted the Master Chief rank, but no pay effective...) for 50% more and got his navy retirement and 30% disability. Sweet gig really.

3 people laid off today...
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Come play Mafia! | My Picture Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23316923 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:59:11 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23294307 cmaenginsb :
said by drew See Profile :

That's my favorite part... If you already work for us, come apply. Everyone else? Bug off.
I did my CCNA bootcamp with 3 ex-coast guard electronic techs. They retired and were rehired as contractors doing the exact same job making more money plus their retirement pay.
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CCNA, Comtrain Certified Tower Climber]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23294307 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:22:52 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23294291 cmaenginsb :
said by nixen See Profile :

said by cmaenginsb See Profile :

Something to understand though is that a lot of the civilian IT support for military bases is by contractors like Unisys. In many cases you'll need TS clearance to apply though as they don't want to pay for the background checks required for clearance.
Most (all) of the cost associated with the clearance process is born by the agency requiring the clearance. The real cost to the hiring company is paying you to sit on the bench for the process can complete. Depending on your background, where your adjudication is processed through, who is doing the adjudication (some agencies have a LOT more pull than others) and any particular world events that are going on, the process can take anywhere from a few weeks (mostly just upgrades) to 1-2 years. That's a lot of time to pay someone to just sit around being useless.
If that isn't paying for the background checks, I don't know what is. ;)
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CCNA, Comtrain Certified Tower Climber]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23294291 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:18:40 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23294286 cmaenginsb :
said by Rob See Profile :

I don't care what anyone says, the U.S. Government has no idea how to realistically and efficiently find qualified candidates.

First of all, every branch and department of our government has their own website where you can apply for. That means that you have to create a username/password for each website. Then you have to create/upload a resume at that specific website.

USAJobs.gov does an excellent job of compiling the different openings, but that's here the 'excellent job' ends.

What the government needs to do is create one website that allows everyone to apply for jobs using 1 username and 1 password. Then after you apply, your information is forwarded to the recruiting officer.

P.S. I have applied to about 20 different government jobs in the last 3 months - ALL of them are still 'under review' except for 1 which finally scheduled an interview.
I agree that once you actually find a job you're interested in it can be a PITA but it's at least easier to find them than it was a few years ago. I doubt you'll ever get a single system for all hiring, heck DOD can't even get a single system for 3 branches of service purchasing.
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CCNA, Comtrain Certified Tower Climber]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23294286 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:17:42 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23293531 drew : Thanks for the information.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23293531 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:44:32 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23293530 drew : If my dad fails, yeah :P]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23293530 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:44:24 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23293248 Matt : My brother works for the Navy, do you want me to put you in touch with him? He can help you sort through all that crap.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23293248 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:50:44 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23293139 hortnut : I quickly scanned the answers to date and I know where Port Orchard is = Seattle is about a 1 hour Ferry ride away, correct?
My folks live South of you on Key Peninsula. And my old stomping grounds were the Puyallup Valley.

I do not think anyone has mentioned Informational Interviews? I have gotten a number of good jobs and leads in the past. Just Google the terms and you will come up with some good stuff.

I had to work them like a detective - finding a key person to talk to, get their number, make an appointment and fire away with questions. One should be - "Can you give me names of anyone else I should talk to in this Industry or another, given my experience and skill sets?" You start to build a network and the next contact is easier, as you are using someone else's name to open the door to get the next Informational Interview.

I have used trade mags, newspapers, state corporation records, etc. to initially find key people to talk to. Even when that person said they would not be the person to talk to, it is best to ask if there is anyone else in the company that would be helpful. I have found that people like to talk about themselves and if they like their job, even more so. »seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/

hth and good luck
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Darn, its gettin that time to go to Wallymart to gits me picture taken agin.
]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23293139 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:30:05 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23292476 ElJay : I don't think door-to-door works too well in this day and age. I work in a small branch office of a megacorp and we get walk-ins from time to time. We basically have no choice but to point them at the website. If the boss man isn't busy he will talk to the person for a few minutes (we're almost always looking for sales staff) but I have not seen anybody hired this way.

We've had people try to "follow up" on submitting their resume in person. I agree with the earlier posters that you should follow up on interviews with a thank you, but I'm not sure about the usefulness of doing it on a simple resume submission. In my situation it just annoys the shit out of us (again, it's a small office and we don't have a receptionist to deal with this crap) and the person they would want to make an impression on isn't likely to be available anyway. In fact a few job seekers were so obnoxious or pushy in this regard that it got to the boss and they were not considered for an interview.

said by drew See Profile :

The US government has absolutely no idea how to realistically and efficiently find qualified candidates. Specifically, the US Navy civilian department in this case. I live near a few military installations and one in particular is mostly civilian and I figured there has to be a sizable IT infrastructure needing to be maintained.
I'm pretty sure the problem is, as mentioned earlier, that most government jobs are outsourced. USAJOBS emails me weekly about GS 2210 jobs and it's mostly useless because there are indeed very few jobs posted, and most of those are GS-13/14 manager slots.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23292476 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:45:02 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23292212 maartena :
said by drew See Profile :

I really mean literally. There was no opportunity for me to even introduce myself. The "manager" looked at me and said "we don't do any hiring, it's all online. go there." and walked away on more than one occassion.
There are plenty of companies that want to see you do an online application, and with good reason.

The trick is not to show up before you do the online application, but to follow up AFTER the online application.
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"I reject your reality and substitute my own!"]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23292212 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:51:45 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23292199 maartena :
said by drew See Profile :

Any advice guys?
Can't help you with what is available in your area..... but can help you with tips on how to get a job:

1) Always follow up an application with a PHONE CALL, but give them at least 3 work days..... You don't want to call next morning, as they may not have worked through their email yet. You don't want to call a week later, as some other dude may have called twice already, and he left an impression with the staff. Call after 3 days. Sometimes you don't get to talk with anyone, but ask the receptionist to email HR with your name and phone number. At the very least then HR knows you tried. If you can't get through and you have an email address of HR, email them within the hour and inform them you had tried to call but couldn't get through, you understand busy schedules, and what not.

2) In some cases, a visit in person may also be a good idea but keep in mind that most companies' HR staff doesn't have time for "walk ins". Nevertheless, if you can leave the impression that you REALLY want the job, you might get a better chance on getting an interview. Don't leave without leaving something behind that can be delivered to HR, such as a small note, with a hard-copy of your resume.

3) When you get an interview, prepare questions. Nothing is more dissapointing to a company if they ask if you have questions and then they have none. Ask some technical questions that have to do with the job, such as "what email platform do you use", and if the answer is say.... Exchange 2003 followup with "does the company have plans to upgrade it to Exchange 2007", and if yes, tell them how you could be of value there. That, of course, is just an example, but you get the drill.

4) If you had an interview, follow up with a Thank You note immediately. Mail it the same day if you can (so go buy a stack of 10 or 20 at your local store, along with current stamps), and even better would be to hand-deliver it to the front desk and ask to have it delivered to HR.

5) Follow up with an email 2 days later, (3 if you think USPS really sucks in that area), and just say something along the lines of "hope you got my note ok, please contact me at this phone number for questions" etc. You know how to write it up properly I take it. THIS would also be a good time to give your CELL PHONE #, if that is not the phone number in your resume. Now they have multiple means of contacting you.

In general, a job applied for on the internet without further followup is a job lost. Most ads on tech job sites come AT LEAST with the company name and city you will be working, so you can do your own research, find the company website, find the "contact us" area or the "employment opportunities" area, and find out if there is an hr@company.com email somewhere. Don't just assume that they will pick you after a online job application, they WILL PICK the ones that follow up, talk to the company, and keep themselves in their minds, even though their qualifications might be SLIGHTLY less then yours......
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"I reject your reality and substitute my own!"]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23292199 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:50:18 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23292169 ke4pym :
said by drew See Profile :

I think my best bet is "networking" but at the young age of 22, my network is very, very small.

Any advice guys?
»www.meetup.com/]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23292169 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:44:55 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23292165 SLD : I need to find a linux security specialist. Let me know if you know someone :)]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23292165 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:44:14 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23292159 ja2007123 : The only positions listed on craiglist are Work at home scamming people or doing weird stuff.
Also the personality tests are a pain in the ass. I tried to apply for a job at the many retail stores and I failed every single test.
I dont see how these creepy guys at Best Buy or kroger got their jobs.....]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23292159 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:43:44 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23291337 drew : That's my favorite part... If you already work for us, come apply. Everyone else? Bug off.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23291337 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:23:20 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23291162 aztecnology : A lot of the IT gov jobs in SoCal that I would like to apply for have "national guard" reservations...
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.:|:. Go Wheatley or Go Home!]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23291162 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:58:16 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23291148 drew : Spent a little bit of time on the USAJobs site and it's is better than the OSN site. However, every job in the IT field is a GS-2210 09-14 job. Looking at the GS-2210 guidelines I'm not qualified due to lack of a degree.

The GS-2210 is an "IT Management" classification hence the requirements are going to be higher. There aren't any non GS-2210 positions available it would appear. I should be looking for something in the 0332 or 0335 classifications. Feel free to read more here if you're interested.

When searching last night, I found what appeared to be one or two 0332/35 jobs, however they were seemingly "reserved" for special qualification groups (such as spouses of relocating current federal employees and the like). Or I could be misunderstanding. When logged in with my profile with my information about qualifications, those jobs don't even appear.

My dad's a civilian worker in the shipyard, so I'll probably end up asking him one of these days to help me make sure I'm reading this all correctly.
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Come play Mafia! | My Picture Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23291148 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:56:08 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23290747 KoolMoe : Most all job sites I've seen have a 'search agent' feature that sends you jobs that match your keywords daily, weekly, etc. That should certainly help...
I'm keeping my eye for the perfect job in education through this site:
»www.higheredjobs.com/default.cfm
just another potential resource to try. Lots of colleges there but not sure I've seen many IT positions, but then again my 'search agent' is looking for those terms.
G'luck!
KM
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Don't Lie - Be Kind - Realize your Potential]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23290747 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:44:01 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23290356 TheRul : Dude. That is the time to be IT.
Remember you know what you are doing and prove it.
Say something like, "Yeah, but that sent to HR, and they never know what to look for".
And I understand, that they walk away, but that was when you were out of HS. You look and act young at that time, and that time, a lot was online, now it is a battle, and you need every advantage you can get.
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If you can't laugh at yourself, you have nothing to laugh at.
Come and spread the FUD »Pub Games]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23290356 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:45:10 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23290341 Boricua65 : There is nothing wrong stopping that person in their tracks and say one or two sentences that will get their attention. Just like TheRul See Profile said, you want to stand out and that would be a perfect time.

BTW, I just tried that website when I posted and it didn't time out on me (and I'm at work with a very slow connection).
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Illegal aliens have always been a problem in the United States. Ask any Indian. Robert Orben
]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23290341 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:41:54 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23290203 drew : I really mean literally. There was no opportunity for me to even introduce myself. The "manager" looked at me and said "we don't do any hiring, it's all online. go there." and walked away on more than one occassion.
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Come play Mafia! | My Picture Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23290203 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:17:54 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23290181 TheRul :
said by The Dv8or See Profile :

said by drew See Profile :

Door to door of where? I did that trying to get a job back when I was still in HS and everyone looked at me like I was off my rocker. "Go online"
Drew is right. That's like having a handwritten resume.
That would get you in the door. You need something that stays in peoples minds.
Remember that 90% of a Resume is for the HR dept.
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If you can't laugh at yourself, you have nothing to laugh at.
Come and spread the FUD »Pub Games]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23290181 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:14:29 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23290177 TheRul : I know where Port Orchard is, My wife's Grandparents had a house in a cove at Whidby.
You are going to have to look like you are off your rocker, you have to make them take a second look at you. You need to be different than the others. Stnad out.
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If you can't laugh at yourself, you have nothing to laugh at.
Come and spread the FUD »Pub Games]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23290177 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:13:20 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23290134 drew : Absolutely sage advice -- I agree 100% and was already on my "make sure you don't screw this up" list.

That, however, is putting the cart before the horse. I need to actually find a job to interview for first!
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Come play Mafia! | My Picture Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23290134 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:07:03 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23290063 Steve :
said by TheRul See Profile :

Get names, numbers and emails. And DO NOT FORGET THANK YOU CARDS!!! Sent out that day or the next.
drew See Profile, you can't believe the powerful impact that this kind of followthrough has. Obviously you'll need to show that you have at least some basic qualifications for the job, but when you can find a way to put your name in their minds in a favorable light, it's easy to imagine this tipping the difference in your favor. Coming across as a nice guy, one who's thoughtful, and one who follows through cannot hurt you.

Good luck,
Steve
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Stephen J. Friedl | Unix Wizard | Microsoft Security MVP | Orange County, California USA | my web site]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23290063 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:54:34 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23290014 The Dv8or :
said by drew See Profile :

Door to door of where? I did that trying to get a job back when I was still in HS and everyone looked at me like I was off my rocker. "Go online"
Drew is right. That's like having a handwritten resume.
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You're so vain... I bet you think this post is about you.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23290014 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:46:33 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23290013 drew : I was trying to search through them last night but as I mentioned, the site was so slow it was unusable. I was getting frequent page time outs and the inability to load up the postings (everyone of them is a PDF guys.. talk about inefficiency!)
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Come play Mafia! | My Picture Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23290013 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:46:16 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23290006 Boricua65 : If the Feds won't do it for you, then consider working for the State of Washington. Often benefits may be better (or much better) than the Feds anyway.

Please note, it can take a while before getting selected but once your in and pass your probation, you should be set.
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Illegal aliens have always been a problem in the United States. Ask any Indian. Robert Orben
]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23290006 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:44:41 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23289983 drew : TheRul, you should actually check my location and then browse on over to Google Maps for a refresher ;) and see what I mean when I'm within 20 miles but the commute isn't likely feasible.

I currently have a 25-30 minute commute each way. I have no problem with that. I could go probably up to an hour before it becomes likely financially unsound unless the pay is just that much better.

Door to door of where? I did that trying to get a job back when I was still in HS and everyone looked at me like I was off my rocker. "Go online"
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Come play Mafia! | My Picture Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23289983 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:40:10 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23289976 The Dv8or : I dont know about the rest of the government agencies, but I know the IRS contracts out their help desk and network admin work to assorted companies. That sucks even more, because you have to work at government rates without getting government benefits. Also, my experience has shown that these guys are absolute fuckin morons who have no clue what they are doing. I remember visiting my mom's office when I was 12, and somehow I got involved in a discussion with a bunch of the IT people there who were working on a machine. I easily knew more than all of them. I was frickin TWELVE, and this was 20 years ago.

It's a masochistic bitch to job search. I'd rather hang myself.
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You're so vain... I bet you think this post is about you.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23289976 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:39:37 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23289831 TheRul :
said by drew See Profile :

Seattle is within 20 miles,
...
Any advice guys?
Dude, I lived in Auburn and Renton and commuted to Tukwillia.
There are plenty of commuter trains and busses (I know)

I currently drive 90 min one way. So a 20 min commute is not going to get any sympathy from me.

Now that being said. You are going to have to pull an old style search in this economy. You are going to have to go door to door, talk to HR and IT managers (If you can see them).
You are going to have to have a number of resumes, each of them highlighting a specific area, and a general one. Each with at least 10 copies for each time you go out.

Get names, numbers and emails. And DO NOT FORGET THANK YOU CARDS!!! Sent out that day or the next.

Can you tell I have been planning? I have been expecting for this 3month going on 4 year gig to end, I am glad it hasn't but I am prepared mentally.
--
If you can't laugh at yourself, you have nothing to laugh at.
Come and spread the FUD »Pub Games]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23289831 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:17:03 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23289492 drew : I've gone to the business websites in the area that I can think of with the need for an on-site IT department and none of them have any openings either.

I'm just not sure where I should go from here. Obviously I need to keep checking these places (twice a week?) for openings, but I don't want to miss some opportunity because I was a bone head and never thought to look 'there.'
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Come play Mafia! | My Picture Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23289492 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:26:30 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23289416 drew : It's a good idea and one that a former employee used to much advantage to himself and his future employer.

There is no non compete however I highly doubt this company will be around long enough for that to be a viable option, esp. Considering there is no company locally.

I am the network administrator for a small software company whose responsibilities would include anything past server 2003 and XP if we actually utilized technology. I do support for our product as well and a bit of development but our development environment and approach would make you all want to put a fist through a wall.
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Come play Mafia! | My Picture Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23289416 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:15:34 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23289010 nixen :
said by cmaenginsb See Profile :

Something to understand though is that a lot of the civilian IT support for military bases is by contractors like Unisys. In many cases you'll need TS clearance to apply though as they don't want to pay for the background checks required for clearance.
Most (all) of the cost associated with the clearance process is born by the agency requiring the clearance. The real cost to the hiring company is paying you to sit on the bench for the process can complete. Depending on your background, where your adjudication is processed through, who is doing the adjudication (some agencies have a LOT more pull than others) and any particular world events that are going on, the process can take anywhere from a few weeks (mostly just upgrades) to 1-2 years. That's a lot of time to pay someone to just sit around being useless.
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The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. -- Bertrand Russell]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23289010 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:54:20 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23288942 Rob : I don't care what anyone says, the U.S. Government has no idea how to realistically and efficiently find qualified candidates.

First of all, every branch and department of our government has their own website where you can apply for. That means that you have to create a username/password for each website. Then you have to create/upload a resume at that specific website.

USAJobs.gov does an excellent job of compiling the different openings, but that's here the 'excellent job' ends.

What the government needs to do is create one website that allows everyone to apply for jobs using 1 username and 1 password. Then after you apply, your information is forwarded to the recruiting officer.

P.S. I have applied to about 20 different government jobs in the last 3 months - ALL of them are still 'under review' except for 1 which finally scheduled an interview.
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CheckSite.us | YourIP.us | Reverseip.us ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23288942 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:37:05 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23288474 sporkme :
said by drew See Profile :

Any advice guys?
Are there any businesses out there that are in a similar line of business? Especially ones that could learn from any frustrations you've experienced at your current job?

Do the companies that buy your employers product have any need for more custom, hands-on support from a third party?

This assumes there's no non-compete in your current contract, but hey...
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with every mistake we must surely be learning]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23288474 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:59:01 EDT Re: Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23288468 cmaenginsb :
said by drew See Profile :

After spending the last two hours trying to see what's 'out there' I've come across a few things...


    •The US government has absolutely no idea how to realistically and efficiently find qualified candidates. Specifically, the US Navy civilian department in this case. I live near a few military installations and one in particular is mostly civilian and I figured there has to be a sizable IT infrastructure needing to be maintained. Start on this page and look for an IT job in WA and find out the actual qualifications for it. Good luck!
    •In case you were wondering, WA state isn't much better. Their site is even slower (if that's possible) than the US Navy civvy one.
    •ISPs in my area aren't hiring at all.
    •Unless you're in a metropolitan area, the typical job search sites are pretty much useless, esp. if you're in an 'as the crow flies' area that has a major metropolitan area near it. Seattle is within 20 miles, but by damned if it's a realistic commute.
    •Craigslist is as bad as those other guys, if not worse.


I seriously don't know what I'm going to do. None of the corporations near me have any vacancies in anything I'm remotely qualified for.

I think my best bet is "networking" but at the young age of 22, my network is very, very small.

Any advice guys?
Actually the US government rocks if you use the right site. www.usajobs.com allows you to search not only Navy but all federal jobs in the state or more specifically a radius from a given city.

Something to understand though is that a lot of the civilian IT support for military bases is by contractors like Unisys. In many cases you'll need TS clearance to apply though as they don't want to pay for the background checks required for clearance.
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CCNA, Comtrain Certified Tower Climber]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23288468 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:51:14 EDT Job Searching... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23288198 drew : After spending the last two hours trying to see what's 'out there' I've come across a few things...


    •The US government has absolutely no idea how to realistically and efficiently find qualified candidates. Specifically, the US Navy civilian department in this case. I live near a few military installations and one in particular is mostly civilian and I figured there has to be a sizable IT infrastructure needing to be maintained. Start on this page and look for an IT job in WA and find out the actual qualifications for it. Good luck!
    •In case you were wondering, WA state isn't much better. Their site is even slower (if that's possible) than the US Navy civvy one.
    •ISPs in my area aren't hiring at all.
    •Unless you're in a metropolitan area, the typical job search sites are pretty much useless, esp. if you're in an 'as the crow flies' area that has a major metropolitan area near it. Seattle is within 20 miles, but by damned if it's a realistic commute.
    •Craigslist is as bad as those other guys, if not worse.


I seriously don't know what I'm going to do. None of the corporations near me have any vacancies in anything I'm remotely qualified for.

I think my best bet is "networking" but at the young age of 22, my network is very, very small.

Any advice guys?
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Come play Mafia! | My Picture Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23288198 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:44:42 EDT